Giora Israel, Senior Vice President of Ports & Destination Development for Carnival Corporation & PLC, the world?s largest cruise line, is slated to address the 11th Annual Grand Bahama Business Outlook in Freeport, Grand Bahama on February 23 at the Westin Sheraton Our Lucaya.

Mr. Israel will share his vision of the development of a new $100 million cruise port on Grand Bahama which has the potential to establish Grand Bahama Island as a major new cruise destination with a proximity advantage for cruise itineraries from all East Coast ports north of and including Port Canaveral, Florida.

During his presentation Mr. Israel, a veteran of the hotel, marine parks, and cruise industries, will also speak regarding the development of the Grand Bahama Shipyard; its impact to date on Grand Bahama?s economy, projections for future growth and employment opportunities. The Grand Bahama Shipyard, a joint venture between Carnival Corporation and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is one of only two ship repair facilities near the Eastern Seaboard that is capable of refurbishing the largest ships on the seas. It employs approximately 400 workers.

A graduate of Tadmor Hotel College in Israel and former general manager of hotels in Israel and The Bahamas, Giora Israel joined Carnival Corporation in 1992 as Director of Special Projects where he engaged in a variety of international activities for the line in Europe and other parts of the world. From 1998 until 2008 Mr. Israel served as Vice President of Strategic Planning at Carnival Corporation and PLC. In addition to his strategic and developmental roles Mr. Israel serves as the President of Carnival Ports Inc., as well as the President of four ports operated by Carnival Corporation: Long Beach Cruise Terminal (California), Cozumel Cruise Terminal S.A. de C.V. (Mexico), Grand Turk Cruise Center (Turks and Caicos Islands), and Mahogany Bay (Roatan, Honduras), this latter to be opened in late 2009.

Grand Bahama Business Outlook is organized by The Counsellors Ltd. and sponsored by the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Bank of The Bahamas International, FOCOL, ScotiaBank, and British American Financial.